Vintage Ale 2016

The 20th limited-edition beer in our Vintage Ale series, Vintage Ale 2016 is a rich, smooth Barley Wine that promises a distinguished drinking experience. Packaged in our signature Vintage Ale gift box, it’s a special beer inside and out, perfect as a gift or to add to your own collection.

Brewed to 8.5% , Vintage Ale 2016 brings together classic British ingredients (Challenger, Goldings and Northdown) with the aromatic Nelson Sauvin hop from New Zealand - used here both for bittering and as a dry hop.

The global combination of ingredients gives rise to a rich and complex amber beer, with aromas of sherry and Cognac, and a flavour profile that picks out toasted grains and sweet cherry Bakewell Tart.

Alcohol is not for sale to people under the age of 18.

500 ml

ABV 8.5%

IBU 40

4.3 units per bottle

Malts: Maris Otter

Hops: Target, Northdown, Challenger and Goldings

Contains Malted Barley

Store upright in a cool, dry place between 2- 25oC

Allow to settle upright for 72 hours after delivery

Serve between 11-13oC, pouring slowly, leaving any sediment in the bottle

All of our Vintage Ales are very special bottle conditioned beers. We’ve created a new recipe every year since 1997, picking the best ingredients at the time, to make a strong beer with a complex character.

Our Vintage Ales are crafted to be enjoyed on the day they’re released, but because of the yeast that we include in the bottle, it will continue to condition well beyond its official ‘best before’ date. This second fermentation results in a more complex character and a flavour profile that will change over time.

Every bottle of Vintage Ale is individually numbered, representing its part in the limited run in which we brew these beers. Many of our older Vintage Ales are extremely rare, but still much sought after as they represent the pinnacle of Fuller’s brewing in that year.

The price of our Vintage Ales will increase over time as the number of remaining bottles reduces, so the price you see today may be higher tomorrow.

Rare Vintages

When stocks of a Vintage Ale are almost entirely depleted, most of what’s left is kept in our secure cellar for future generations. However, because of the popularity of the beer, we have made a small number of bottles available for the connoisseurs of our Vintages. These will be much more valuable than the rest of the range because there are so few remaining. You can identify these Vintage Ales as they will include ‘RARE’ in the product name.

Customers may buy only one bottle of rare Vintage Ale per order.

Taking delivery and storage

As part of any delivery process, the liquid and sediment in the bottle will have been disturbed during transit. It is important that you let the bottle stand on its base for at least 72 hours before opening it.

If you plan to store the bottles to enjoy in later years, you should store them upright to ensure any settling happens at the bottom of the bottle. It will also be ready to drink whenever you wish. Store your Vintage Ale in a cool, dry place where the temperature will not drop below 2oC or go above 25oC.

How to enjoy your Vintage Ale

We recommend that your Vintage Ale is served at cellar temperature (11-13oC) in a wide rimmed glass that allows you to enjoy the aromas as you sip it. The Fuller’s Connoisseur Glass has been designed for this, but a large wine glass is a suitable alternative.

Make sure that you’ve allowed the bottle to settle upright for at least 72 hours if it has been transported recently. Open the bottle and pour the beer slowly into a glass held at an angle. Slowly straighten the glass as you pour. To avoid sediment entering the glass, stop pouring before reaching the bottom of the bottle. If you prefer a smaller head on your beer, wet the inside of the glass before pouring.

Enjoy your Vintage Ale either on its own, or to accompany warming winter dishes such as stews or pies. It is also an excellent alternative to port when eating cheese. We think its best enjoyed with friends and family, with some customers maintaining a tradition to taste a range of Vintage Ales at Christmas. However you choose to drink your Vintage Ale, we hope you enjoy it.

You can add a Fuller's vintage greeting card on the cart page for a small additional cost. Tick the box to add the card to your order and complete the gift message box. We will print your message on to a label which we apply to the inside of the card, which is placed in an envelope within the parcel. If you wish to write the card yourself, simply leave the message box blank.

The delivery slips that are included in our parcels do not show the price paid for items, so you can rest assured that your recipient gets a real surprise.

Free UK Mainland delivery for orders over £50

Next day delivery orders placed before 2pm will be delivered on the next working day, all other orders will arrive the following working day.

We offer a range of delivery options depending on your location and items ordered. All beer and cider is delivered via our courier service which costs £7.95 for next working day delivery to UK Mainland addresses. We are unable to ship these products outside of the UK..

All non-liquid or non-food items are available for delivery via Royal Mail in the UK and via courier to international locations. Please proceed to the checkout to calculate the cost of delivery for your order. For a complete list of countries we currently deliver to, please check our delivery page.

Vintage Ale 2018

This year’s Vintage Ale is a celebration of Fuller’s long-lasting friendships with the hop growers, merchants, and maltsters of the UK. It has been brewed using exclusively home-grown ingredients. The...